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Fremont weekly freeman. June 8, 1850, Image 1

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Lower Sandusky Freeman, The Freeman and Fremont Weekly Freeman

The Lower Sandusky Freeman, published in Lower Sandusky, the seat of Sandusky County, Ohio, was edited and published by James Fouke starting in March 1849. Like its predecessor, the Lower Sandusky Telegraph, the Freeman openly supported the political views and opinions of the Whig party. Unlike other papers during the time, the Freeman did not hold any malice towards the other political parties but rather, according to Fouke, welcomed the opinions of the opposition because “they are all striving to meet the same ends—the interest and good of our glorious Union.”

In order to avoid confusion with other towns bearing the name of “Sandusky,” on October 15, 1849, a petition was signed to change the name of the county seat to Fremont, after John Fremont, an explorer and soldier. With the change of the town name official, the newspaper had to cast “Lower Sandusky” from the title. It was first published as the Freeman on October 20, 1849, because the nameplate was created in the wrong type. The official title of the newspaper bearing the new town name was first printed on June 8, 1850, as the Fremont Weekly Freeman.

On November 6, 1852, Fouke decided to cease publication of the paper for several weeks citing a need for “a short recreation.” He also stated in his editorial that those subscribers who had not paid yet needed to settle their debts or he would be forced to sell the printing office. Apparently no one answered his call as the next issue of the paper on December 23, 1852, treated readers to a new editor and publisher in J.M. Main, along with an “Obituary” from Fouke stating that he had sold the paper. Main would only own the Fremont Weekly Freeman a few months before selling the printing office, bringing an end to the paper in January 1853.